The purpose of this activity is to enable the learner to discuss
the findings from a multi-year, multi-site, randomized, controlled study
of the educational outcomes when simulation is used to replace
traditional clinical hours throughout the undergraduate nursing
curriculum. Providing high quality clinical education experiences for
nursing students is a challenge for nurse educators worldwide. An
international nurse faculty shortage, along with competition for
clinical sites, high patient acquity, and short hospital stays make it
difficult for students to obtain good educational experiences. Educators
have turned to high fidelity patient simulation as one solution to the
perennial challenges of clinical education. Program administrators and
faculty have witnessed the benefits of this teaching pedagogy and are
interested in using simulation to replace a portion of their clinical
hours with simulation, but the research literature has not addressed the
end of program outcomes achieved when simulation is used as a clinical
replacement throughout the curriculum. This was the largest, most
comprehensive study to date examining the use of high fidelity
simulation in the undergraduate nursing curriculum. Educational outcomes
of clinical competency, nursing knowledge and new graduate nurse
readiness for practice will be discussed.

Session Objectives:

Describe the methods used throughout the simulation study

Discuss the study findings and the implications for nursing programs
when 25% and 50% of clinical hours are substituted with simulation